Socially Most Trending News

....The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said a large majority of surveyors in both London and south-east England were reporting falling prices, though the national picture is balanced by price rises in the West Midlands, the south-west and Northern Ireland. Homeowners who have enjoyed rising prices for years should get used to slower rates of growth or even a drop in the value of their home, say property market experts. ...
[Read full article on Guardian]

.... This is a small country with tough planning laws and a tax system that creates incentives for people to invest in bricks and mortar. Mostly, limits on supply plus strong demand equals rising prices. ...
[Read full article on Guardian]

Latest Finance News related to Rising Prices

....New research suggests that the current generation of pensioners are actually living in a golden era for retirement. One financial expert even claims that retirees have never had it so good, which may surprise the many pensioners battling against rising prices on a low fixed income. ...

....The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said a large majority of surveyors in both London and south-east England were reporting falling prices, though the national picture is balanced by price rises in the West Midlands, the south-west and Northern Ireland. Homeowners who have enjoyed rising prices for years should get used to slower rates of growth or even a drop in the value of their home, say property market experts. ...

.... This is a small country with tough planning laws and a tax system that creates incentives for people to invest in bricks and mortar. Mostly, limits on supply plus strong demand equals rising prices. ...

....“Consumer spending fell for the third month in a row in July, the first time overall spending had fallen for three consecutive months since February 2013,” said Kevin Jenkins, Visa’s UK and Ireland managing director. “The figure provides further evidence that rising prices and stagnant wage growth are squeezing consumers’ pockets. ...

....Verdict Well-paid blue-collar jobs remain hard to find, despite rising employment. For much of the last decade, economists have expected a return to wage rises of 4% that dramatically lift consumer spending and feed into rising prices. ...

. Brexit uncertainties have discouraged some firms from awarding pay rises, the Bank of England has said, as it warned that rising prices and weak wage growth would continue to squeeze living standards this year. ...

....9bn – almost 50% higher than in the same month last year. Higher inflation, which followed sterling’s slump after the Brexit vote, pushed up the cost of financing the portion of government debt linked to rising prices. ...

....Given the spiralling rate of house price inflation in recent years, a property price slowdown is more to be welcomed than feared. Otherwise, buyers will be forced to take on ever larger amounts of debt to keep pace with rising prices, which will only suck money out of the economy and store up more debt problems for later, especially if interest rates rise faster than expected. ...

....“The pressure is ratcheting up on UK households, but consumers don’t seem to be fully aware of the crunch that is under way,” he said. “Despite weak wage growth and rising prices, consumers are continuing to spend by racking up more debt. ...

....The consumer-driven momentum that has kept the British economy afloat since the Brexit vote is declining rapidly, with new data showing households in the grip of the most protracted squeeze on living standards since the economic crisis of the mid-1970s. Against a backdrop of rising prices and stagnant wage growth, incomes adjusted for inflation have now fallen for three successive quarters, the first time this has occurred since the International Monetary Fund had to bail Britain out in 1976. ...

....There were further signs of consumer worries in separate polling by Lloyds Bank published on Friday. It found the proportion of people feeling good about their personal finances fell last month as rising prices and slow wage growth took their toll. ...

.... Instead Haldane – who some regard as a potential successor to the governor of the Bank, Mark Carney – is in listening mode, on the first leg of a nationwide tour that is aiming to feed the everyday experiences of ordinary households into monetary policymaking. Britain’s poorest families, he says, are being hardest hit by the rising prices of essentials like food and fuel, and action to prevent higher inflation becoming entrenched must therefore be a priority. ...

....Since the Brexit vote the Bank’s committee of rate-setters has been forced into a balancing act between keeping import-fuelled inflation in check and providing support to the economy as uncertainty and a squeeze on incomes bites. The five policymakers voting to leave interest rates on hold at June’s meeting, including the Bank’s governor, Mark Carney, appeared to be more worried about a slowdown in consumer spending as households grapple with rising prices and meagre wage growth. ...

....The profit alert came as official data showed a worse-than-expected 1. 2% decline in retail sales volumes in May, as rising prices depressed annual consumer spending growth to levels last seen in 2013. ...

....3 per cent in March, with more expected as the pound weakens further after the election and pushes up the price of imported goods. Andrew Tully, pensions technical director at Retirement Advantage, says pensioners on fixed incomes are particularly hard hit by rising prices: "If inflation averaged 2 per cent over 20 years the typical retired household would somehow need to find a further £187 a week simply to maintain their standard of living. ...

.... But in the latest official figures, there was evidence that sterling was a key factor. Statisticians highlighted the rising prices of package holidays, reflecting the growing cost of travelling abroad for Britons because of the weaker pound. ...

.... Living standards are again falling, but while the economy has slowed markedly, as the latest GDP update showed, it continues to defy the gloomy forecasts of a Brexit recession made by some commentators this time last year. In the latest figures, unemployment is at the lowest level since 1975 and retail sales rebounded as shoppers apparently shrugged off any worries about rising prices to keep spending in April, although many retailers and economists take issue with the accuracy of the official data. ...

....3% in March. Connor Campbell of Spreadex said: "The Bank of England appears reluctant to combat rising prices with a rate hike; combine that with the alarming squeeze on real wages and the pound has little reason for cheer, something that only works in the FTSE's favour. ...

....25 a 11kg (25lb) box at the end of April. Morrisons supermarket has tried to tackle rising prices this week by offering a “wonky” version of the fruit, with an irregular shape or blemished skin, for 39p each. ...

.... It said spending on these essentials was up more than 11% year on year, the fastest rate of growth since it began releasing consumer spending data in 2012. Paul Lockstone, managing director at Barclaycard, said: “A late Easter and rising prices provided a superficial boost to spending in April, but behind the headline figure it’s clear consumers are recognising and responding to the inflationary pressures being placed on household budgets. ...

....In addition, there is an access charge of up to 50p a minute from the telecoms operator. "Ofcom is very concerned about the rising prices of some 118 numbers, and we are already planning to review this market to ensure prices are transparent and fair to consumers," an Ofcom spokesperson said. ...

....The big six energy suppliers – British Gas, EDF, E. ON, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE – have been criticised for being slow to pass on falling wholesale costs, while being swift to impose rising prices on customers. ...

....Inflation grew at its most quickly between 1967 and 1977 at an average annual rate of 11. 3 per cent, and the lowest pace of rising prices has come in the 10 year to 2017 with annual increases of 2. ...

....3% in the first three months of the year, according to the initial estimate from the Office for National Statistics, the slowest growth rate since the first quarter of 2016. The weak growth rate was largely blamed on the impact of rising prices on household spending. ...

....Aldi overtook Waitrose in 2015 and then, in February, it moved past the Co-op to become the UK’s fifth-biggest grocer. McKevitt said the discounters would seek to cash in on shoppers’ concerns about rising prices and economic difficulties, but the major supermarkets would be fighting back. ...

....4%. Chris Williamson, chief economist, IHS Markit, said: "The message is clear: the start of the year saw the weakest pace of growth for a year as rising prices have started to hit household spending. ...

....Consumers have been the main driver of UK economic growth since the financial crisis but there are mounting signs that the appetite for spending is beginning to wane. Retail sales are falling, and households have been dipping into their savings to maintain spending in the face of rising prices in the shops. ...

....The Lib Dem spokeswoman Susan Kramer said: “Theresa May’s plans for a divisive hard Brexit and savage cuts to benefits will leave millions of working families worse off. Three million households will be hit to the tune of £2,500 a year as a result of cuts to tax credits, rising prices and the falling pound. ...

....The prime minister will be hoping the resilience seen in the UK economy will hold over the coming months now that she has called an election for this June. But the Guardian’s monthly tracker of economic news shows living standards are already falling as rising prices outpace meagre pay growth. ...

.... Economists do not expect the general election to change the economic outlook for this year – assuming the Conservatives are re-elected with an increased majority. Consumer spending has been strong and the main driver of UK economic growth, but economic surveys and the latest retail sales figures suggest spending started cooling markedly at the beginning of this year as shoppers felt the pinch from rising prices. ...

....Last month Next warned of a tough year ahead as it reported a 6% fall in 2016 profits to £790m. The fashion and homewares retailer blamed a combination of factors, with its customers' incomes being squeezed by rising prices, forcing them to rein in their spending on clothes. ...

....The next thing for the MPC to consider is whether there is a risk of inflation becoming entrenched. That would happen if rising prices led to workers successfully negotiating higher wages to compensate them for the hit to living standards. ...

....co/quM5OtzuBO. The ONS figures will disappoint commentators who hoped a boost to exports from the weak pound would offset the slowdown in consumer spending as households grapple with the double whammy of rising prices and sluggish pay growth. ...

....”. The Bank’s latest remarks on household debts follow signs that rising prices and sluggish wage growth are squeezing incomes and prompting some households to run down savings or turn to loans to cover their living costs. ...

....Demand for property in China's top cities is so red hot, some couples are even undergoing fake divorces in order to buy additional homes. China's central bank has tried to clamp down on rising prices but that has done little to allay the woes of young workers who earn low wages. ...

....“These amount to unwise giveaways to richer households and unjustifiable takeaways from less well-off families. The result is higher inequality and a decision to squeeze living standards for low- and middle-income families at a time when rising prices are already outstripping wage growth. ...

....Chris Williamson, the chief business economist at IHS Markit said: “The consumer, which has provided the main engine of UK economic growth in recent years, is showing signs of running out of steam. Looking at the underlying trend, retail sales are falling at the fastest rate for seven years as households struggle with rising prices and subdued pay growth. ...

.... . Chris Williamson, chief business economist at Markit, said: "It remains likely that policymakers will adopt an increasingly dovish tone in coming months, despite the rise in inflation, as the economy slows due to consumers being squeezed by low pay and rising prices. ...

....Earlier on Thursday, the supermarket chain Sainsbury became the latest retailer to warn of the pressure to raise prices. Other MPC members noted consumers were turning more cautious amid slowing wage growth and rising prices. ...

....Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, said the prime minister must put a stop to the slide in living standards. “Workers are facing the double whammy of rising prices and slower pay growth. ...

....Mckay’s problem is shared by about one in 10 households across the country who are classed as in fuel poverty. Ofgem, the energy regulator, is introducing a price cap on pre-payment customers from April, but the majority of people in fuel poverty have standard meters, and everyone will be affected by rising prices. ...

. The UK economy will confound forecasts for a Brexit-related slowdown through 2017, but will then quickly run out of steam as rising prices hit consumer spending, the Office for Budget Responsibility has predicted. ...

....The rise in food prices ends a run of falling costs that began in September 2014 as supermarket competition in the sector intensified and companies stepped up price wars. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said that supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – the so-called big four – were now benefiting from rising prices. ...

....However, the government is concerned that two-thirds of all energy consumers remain on standard tariffs, which are the most expensive deals. British Gas recently announced it was freezing its tariffs until August, against a backdrop of rising prices at some other large energy companies. ...

.... It is expected to rise to about 3% early next year, as the sharp fall in the pound since the Brexit vote pushes up the price of goods imported from overseas. Brencher said: “With inflation climbing fast, families are understandably concerned about the impact of rising prices on the household purse. ...

....com, says the historically high returns in the rental market have disappeared, but property “is always going to win” when compared to savings rates in banks and building societies. “In a strong housing market landlords will benefit from rising prices, and in a flat economy the asset of a flat, apartment or house will still generate a rental income and so remains a useful asset to investors. ...

.... . Head of financial education Jeanette Makings says young people are struggling with student debt, low incomes and rising prices: “They earn entry-level salaries and are often saddled with debt, so it can be overwhelming to consider saving towards a pension or a property. ...

.... Jobs market data this week showed wage growth slowed at the end of last year despite unemployment remaining at its lowest rate for more than a decade. “These figures provide the clearest evidence yet that rising prices will squeeze consumer spending throughout this year and into 2018,” said Andrew Sentance, senior economic adviser at the consultancy PwC. ...

....The consumer group also asked more than 4,700 people about their experience of using convenience stores, with M&S Simply Food stores coming top and stalwarts Budgens, Nisa and Spar at the bottom. “With concerns over rising prices, the competition among supermarkets is fiercer than ever,” said Richard Headland, Which? magazine editor. ...

.... Of the big six providers, Scottish Power’s online fixed saver is one of the cheaper deals. Stephen Murray, energy expert at Moneysupermarket, said: “The energy market is really unpredictable at the moment and a huge part of that is rising prices. ...

....It was nice while it lasted, but the days of ultra-low inflation are over – at least for the time being. The year ahead is going to be marked by rising prices and squeezed living standards, but the pickup in the cost of living needs to be put in perspective; January’s increase was smaller than expected, and the result of prices falling less sharply than they did a year ago. ...

....”. Last month official figures showed Britain’s retailers suffering a surprise end-of-year slump in sales, which analysts suggested was a sign that rising prices since the Brexit vote are starting to hurt people’s spending power. ...

....The Liberal Democrats’ Treasury spokeswoman, Susan Kramer, said: “Cut after cut will be the new normal for this Conservative government, even before the effects of Brexit hit. Failure on the deficit, high taxes and rising prices. ...